“I wouldn’t sleep if I were you… a thing like that never stops.” Vertical has revealed the official trailer for the indie horror film The Damned, from young Icelandic filmmaker Thordur Palsson marking his feature directorial debut. Not to be confused with the film about US Civil War soldiers also titled The Damned from this year, this is a haunting horror set on Iceland in the past. A 19th-century widow (starring Odessa Young) has to make an impossible choice when, during an especially cruel winter, a foreign ship sinks off the coast of her Icelandic fishing village. The Damned, an ominous and chilling thriller, follows Eve and her crew as they come across a shipwreck and are faced with the moral dilemma to help or not. An atmospheric blend of drama and psychological horror that captivated audiences at the 2024 Sitges Film Festival this fall. Starring Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Siobhan Finneran, & Rory McCann. Oh damn this looks super creepy and frightening, and also so freezing cold with all that ice & snow in every shot. Horror fans should not skip this.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Thordur Palsson’s film The Damned, direct from YouTube:

In the 19th century, a widow is pressed to make an impossible decision when, during an especially cruel winter, a ship sinks off the coast of her impoverished Icelandic fishing village. Any attempt to rescue the survivors of the wreck risks further depleting the supplies of the already starving villagers. The Damned is directed by up-and-coming Icelandic filmmaker Thordur Palsson, making his feature directorial debut after many short films and the “The Valhalla Murders” series previously. The screenplay is written by Jamie Hannigan, from a story by Thordur Palsson. It’s produced by Conor Barry, Tim Headington, Kamilla Hodol, Emilie Jouffroy, Nate Kamiya, John Keville, and Theresa Steele Page. Vertical will be debuting Palsson’s The Damned horror film in select US theaters starting January 3rd, 2025 early next year. Anyone interested?